Kagumu Adventures & Environomica: A Growing Collaboration

By Bernie Coote | 29th February

In 2023, Kagumu Adventures forged various meaningful collaborations with organizations doing great things for biodiversity and the fight against climate change. 

The aim: to continue squaring up to the unavoidable carbon footprint that comes with travel.

Additionally, we want to take people to remarkable destinations in Central and South America in a responsible and sustainable manner. 

We therefore agreed to make contributions to support projects working hard to counteract some of the impacts of the climate crisis. 

One of those was Environomica, a foundation dedicated to environmental conservation and community empowerment and their reforestation initiative in the Sierra Nevada region of Colombia. 

At the beginning of the year, and following project visit by Kagumu founder Simon Willis, we agreed to make a calculated contribution per visiting group.  

The result? Kagumu made a total contribution of $12,732,000COP to the project. The foundation utilized these funds to plant a total of 1,061 native and fruit trees across the northern and western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, supporting the estimated removal of 10.36 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere. 

Check out the official results provided by Environomica here.

 

But Environomica isn’t the average offsetting project! 

Their thoughtful and expansive approach not only contributes to carbon sequestration but also supports local communities in many ways, fostering sustainable livelihoods throughout the region.

To begin with, they identified 33 rural and indigenous families from 10 different communities and, with help from our contribution,  equipped each family with an average of 32 trees ranging from mango and avocado to Tambor and Caracoli. 

There was a conscious decision in which trees were donated with 72% being forest trees dedicated to conservation and 28% fruit trees aimed at supporting families with harvests, thereby boosting their income. 

On top of that, these families received economic incentives per tree, providing them with an additional source of income. Environomica’s experts also provided technical assistance throughout the year, ensuring the success and longevity of the planted trees.

 

Finally, the restoration efforts also led to the revival of approximately 21,000m² of forest in the region which goes towards the protection of crucial water sources from erosion and the regulation of water cycles. 

By safeguarding water sources, the initiative ensures the long-term sustainability of both the environment and the communities that depend on it.

It’s projects like this that Kagumu loves to support – and spotlight to others! 

Their holistic and regenerative approach has such brilliant social and environmental impact and gives us a warm glow.  

We’re looking forward to continuing collaborating with Environomica throughout 2024 and seeing how much more of a positive ripple effect they can have on this stunning part of the world!